Postgraduate medical journal
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South Western Sydney comprises of a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and lower socioeconomic status population group within the state of New South Wales. Geographic location and sociodemographic factors play important roles in access to healthcare and may be crucial in the success of time-critical acute stroke intervention. The aim of this study was to examine the trends in the delayed presentation to emergency department (ED) and identify factors associated with prehospital delay for an acute stroke/transient ischaemic attack (TIA) at a comprehensive stroke centre. ⋯ Comprehensive reappraisal of educational programmes for early stroke recognition is required in our region due to delayed ED presentations of younger and specific CALD communities of stroke/TIA patients.
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Stroke remains one of the most important causes of death and disability worldwide. Effective prevention could reduce the burden of stroke dramatically. The management of stroke has undergone a revolution over the last few decades, particularly with the development of techniques for revascularisation of patients with ischaemic stroke. ⋯ However, the majority of stroke patients won't benefit from these treatments and will need effective specialist stroke care and ongoing rehabilitation to overcome impairments and adapt to living with a disability. There are still many unanswered questions about the most effective way of delivering rehabilitation. Likewise, research into how to manage primary intracerebral haemorrhage has yet to transform care.
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Active patient participation in safety pathways has demonstrated benefits in reducing preventable errors, especially in relation to hand hygiene and surgical site marking. The authors sought to examine patient participation in a range of safety-related behaviours as well as factors that influence this, such as gender, education, age and language. ⋯ Many patients are not engaged in safety-related behaviour and do not challenge healthcare professionals on safety issues. Older male patients who were not tertiary educated or fluent in English need to be empowered to take an active role in such behaviour. Further research is required to investigate how to achieve this.